Spring cushion or mattress



Nov. 17,1925" H. H. KNEPPER SPRING CUSHION 0R MATTRESS Filed April 16. 1.921

mmvrox. hny

Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNI nee TATE-s 1,561,729 "PATENT it orries.

K NEPPER, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SPRING CUSHION OR MATTRESS.

Application filed April 16,1921, Seriar-Nc. 461,990.

Detroit, countyof' lvayne, Stateof Michigan, have invented a certain newnnd useful Improvement in Spring GiishionsorvMattresses, and declare the following tcbe a full, clear, and exactdescription of the :same, such as will enable-"others skilled in the art to which it pertains'toinake anduse thesame, reference being had to the "accompanying' drawings, whichform a part of this specification.

"This invention relates to'spring "structures for cushions, mattresses etc 'andfthe object is to provide a simple and inexpensive construction for buildingup the spring body of a cushion or the like and in which the springs are held undent-ension in separate rows, each row being heldinanindividual container therefor with the springs ofeach row connected together in'hinged relationship. A further object'of'theinvention is to provide a spring structure in which the springs are'in rows with each row an a separate container and further to provide,

a with the group of containers,"top and bottom framessecured-t'o the fabric ofthe containers in a manner to maintain the springs in the desired assembled relation. Heretofore, it has been usual to providecontainers for the individual springsvbut this results in a comparatively expensive structure which isavoidedby providing a cheaply made separate container for'each row of springs as hereinafterdescribed. These and other objects and novel features of construction are hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and the preferredform' of con struction of acushion ormattress embodyinginy invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. I is a plan view-partlybroken away showing my improved spring structure and upper border frame and secondary frame securedto the fabric and containers for the springs.

Fig. 2 Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the sprlng and its container as used in the structure.

Fig. 4 is a cross section of one of the fabric containers before the springs are inserted therein.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation thereof.

In the structure herein disclosed I form a is a section taken on line Q-Z of vseveralturns. of the coils are may be very'cheaply made of a single piece of fabric and" run in continuous strips through the proper type of sewing machine fori'ning a tube and the fabrictube'may be cut in the desired lengths depending upon the size of'the spring structure to bcmade.

The springs, as will be'understood from Fig. 2, 'are'of coil type and preferably the all of the same diameter. These coils are hingedly "connecte'dtogether by m'eansof a clip 2 which may" be of any approved type permitting the upper "and lower coils of' adjacent springs to hinge or turn relative to'one another suchfor instance as, is shown in Letters Patent of the Unitedstates to O. E. Hunt, No. 1,262,196 of April 9, 1918. The character of clip, however, is not deemed essential to this invention, the partic'ular feature being the type of container andthe means forsecuring the several containers in assembled relation. The bag or container made in the general manner indicated in Figs. 4; and 5 is such that when the rowof springs'is inserted therein the springs are held under some compressionrowsothat the several containers are closely nested together practically closing the space between the rows to prevent material (such as padding or the like usually placed thereon) from creeping downward in between the rows in subsequent'use of the cushion or mattress. Tohold the several rows together in the desired assembled relation, 1 provide a border framesuchas is indicated 1 at 4 in Fig. 1 defining thcoutlineof the cushion or mattress and here shown as bein rectangular in form. There is a lower and an upper border frame of similar form and both frames are sewed or tied to the fabric of the containers as indicated at 5 in Fig. 1. In fact the seam 1 of each of the containers is indicated on the upper surface of the structure, but it is immaterial which end of the springs is placed uppermost or whether or not the seam of the container the back,

is on the upper or lower side of the completed cushion.

As will be readily understood, the assembled structure is enclosed within a leather or other character of finishing material cover and usually padding is introduced between the spring bodyand outer covering which is not here shown. With a border frame as indicated defining the outline of the cushion or mattress, any one sitting upon the edge of the cushion will deflect a considerable number of springs due to the action of the border frame. Preferably I use a secondary frame 6 on the top of the structure as shown in Fig. l which is hingedly connected to the rear edge of the upper border frame l as indicated at 7, 7. This frame extends forward toward the front of the cushion and with the sides and front of the frame 6 spaced from the border frame overlying the springs spaced from the border springs engaged by the border frame. This frame 6 is a strengthening member and serves to bring into play a considerable number of springs within the containers when deflected by a person sitting or lying thereon but, due to its being hinged to the border frame at the rearedge only and otherwise unconnected with the border frame it has an action practically independent of the border frame. lVith the border frame sewed to the fabric of the containers, displacement of the containers and of the springs therein is prevented and the same are held in close relationship.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a cross section of a cushion or mattress and in full lines the structure is shown to be of equal height from front to back. However, if it is desired that the cushion be higher at the front than at containers of greater height may be used at the forward edge of the cushion and containers of successively less depth be provided for the succeeding rows of springs as will be readily understood. The dotted line a indicates a structure in which the forward edge of the cushion is of greater depth than the rear edge and the dotted line I) indicates a structure in which it is of greater depth at the center than either at the front or rear edge and this is secured by provision of containers of varying width adaptable to produce the desired result.

By the arrangement described the several rows of springs are separated by two thicknesses of the fabric or material of which the containers are formed and the coils of the springs of one row do not become interlaced with the coils of the springs of an adjacent row. This is particularly due to the fact that the containers are less in depth than the normal length of the springs. The springs therefore maintain the fabric taut and prevent the springs from intermeshing. If the fabric containers were sufficiently loose the springs could, by reason of such looseness, become intermeshed causing a partial collapse of the spring structure which is avoided by the means described. The principal features of this invention therefore are the separate containers for the rows of springs in which the springs of each row are hingedly connected together; the means for maintaining the containers in assembled relationship, as described consisting of frame members at the top and bottom tying the several containers 111 place and in.

which the springs are held under compres sion by the containers, and the secondary frame free to move independently of the border frame and sustained by springs spaced from those sustaining the border frame.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- In a cushion or mattress, a resilient body comprising a plurality of rows of coiled springs, the springs of each row being hingedly connected together, a separate fabric container for each row, the springs being normally of greater length than the depth of the container whereby the fabric of the container is held taut, and means for holding the several rows in assembled relation comprising a. top and bottom border frame defining the outline of the cushion or mattress secured to the fabric containers and overlying the border'springs of the group, and a secondary frame within the upper border frame overlying the springs adjacent the border springs and hingedly connected with the upper border frame at one side only.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

HARRY H. KNEPPER. 

